Silence in Darkness
by Red Assassin
Summary: Darkness invades Riku's heart once again... What will bring him back to the light? RikuXOC Ahem, Kairi bashing... UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION!
1. Darkness

A/N: Hey readers. This is my first time putting up a story for Kingdom Hearts. It feels kind of cool. Anyways, I'm writing furiously to try and get the first chapters up. It's hard when your in the wee hours of the morning. Support is nice. Yeeees, support, the invisible thing that keeps people writing in the wee hours of the morning. Reviews are even better. Please, tell me if my writing gave you a brain aneurysm. Until next (official) chapter...

**Prologue.**

Riku stared at the ocean, and it filled him with contempt. How could something so beautiful be so evil after a second look? The ocean was not evil in itself, but one small part, stuck to the Destiny Islands as it was, went through the same motions over and over again. Nothing ever happened to make things interesting. It was just so… perfect. Riku loathed the ocean because it reminded him of what he wasn't. He was exactly what everyone and everything on this whole island _wasn't_. He felt ashamed to be friends with so many _nice_ people. People he had betrayed and sold for his own gain. Of course, he had become darkness itself to fight for his friend, but it was never enough. Nothing he did made up for what he had done.

Riku turned away from the scenery and to the ground, _'Where I should be buried.'_

He continued walking down the beach, thinking about how he was always next to flawlessness, but had never actually felt it in his soul. A couple of minutes had passed before he looked up and saw something he had never seen before. Sora and Kairi were arguing heatedly. Sure, they had argued before, but he could tell that it had never been this intense. He walked faster, noticing that they could start fighting physically at any time. He walked close enough to where he could hear them, and then rounded a corner before they could spot him. Then, he listened intently to what they had to say.

"Soooora, why are you being so difficult?"

"Aren't you listening to me? I don't want to hurt his feelings. It could screw up everything we've built over the years. He's already depressed enough at what he did to us. What do you think would happen if he found out that he was the only teenager on this island who didn't have someone to love? How much more depressed do you want him to be?"

Riku's ears didn't comprehend what Sora said after that. He knew exactly what they were talking about. In fact, he suspected that it would come to this over the last few days. Kairi was in love with Sora, that much he knew. When they returned from fighting Xemnas, the two lovebirds had practically been inseparable, yet they never said anything about going out. Now he knew why. They were waiting it out for him, just because he didn't have anyone. This had to stop. Riku stepped from behind his hiding place, casually walking up to his friends.

"Hey," He said and the talking immediately stopped, "do me a favor and go out on a date."

Both of their mouths fell open and their cheeks turned a slight pink. Unfortunately, Kairi recovered quickly and started to protest.

"Riku, I don't love Sora."

At this, Sora looked dejected and Riku's eyebrow started twitching.

"Kairi, don't tell lies to my face. I don't care how many times you've practiced them in the mirror. We both know you love Sora, and to say otherwise right in front of him is wrong. Sora has a big heart, don't crush it." Riku threw at her.

Kairi looked at him as if he were the devil.

"I can't believe I was your friend all of these years," She said, and then a cold smile passed across her face, "Riku, you're the one that broke his heart. You broke it when you left. _You_ broke it when you tried to take out his soul. _You_ broke _his _heart when you showed him that you didn't care."

Riku only had one answer: she was right. His heart felt as if it was ripped out of its resting place. He didn't belong here with this perfect place, with these perfect people. He turned around stiffly and started walking. The slow walk turned into a fast walk, and that eventually turned into a run. He faintly recalled Sora calling his name, but it didn't matter now. He had made up his mind.

Riku ran until he hit the ocean. He started swimming fast, and he kept going despite his body's protest. He swam until his breath was ragged and came in short gasps.

'_Just a little longer and this will all be over. I won't be able to swim back.'_

A few minutes was all it took before he sucked in one last breath and disappeared under the water. After a while his lungs started to burn. Black spots appeared and disappeared just as quickly when red took their place. A momentary lapse of judgment caused him to suck in water, his lungs desperately taking whatever it could get. That was when his body started to spasm. It soon stopped, and he only had the strength left to reach for the light above the surface. He was sinking down into the darkness.

'It's ironic how the way I die is exactly how I lived. It seems I'll never get away from the darkness…'

He didn't see the blinding light that followed as soon as his eyes closed.

A/N: Don't worry all of you Riku fans going "NOOOO!!" It wouldn't be much of a story if Riku died before he finally saw the light. Ya, he hasn't even met HER yet...


	2. And the birds go la

A/N: HA!! I got the next chapter done in the same night! does a little jig okkkk, too tired. Anyways, don't mind my craziness. I get wired when I don't sleep.

**_Enjoy the chapter and Review if you would want another one._**

**Chapter One. And the birds go la.**

Alice woke up to the birds singing merrily and the sun shining through her windows. She suddenly shot up from her bed.

"Will you please SHUT UP… and turn off the freaking lights."

A jogger merrily going by stopped in his tracks, gaping awkwardly at the house. A neighbor of Alice's, who was watering their plants, looked up unperturbed at the jogger.

"Oh, don't worry dear, she does this every Monday." The old lady explained.

The jogging man shook his head and muttered something about crazy teenagers before he started to jog again.

Alice, meanwhile, slumped back on her bed and groaned.

"Ew, Monday." She muttered.

Then, in a not so awe-inspiring moment, she remembered something crucial for her week.

'My parent's aren't here!'

Running around the house and smelling the air of freedom followed this thought. Freedom to do WHATEVER she wanted. In another not-so-dainty moment, she began taking off her clothes and dumping them in the hall, and then walking to the bathroom. Unfortunately, she realized in the middle of the hallway that the windows didn't have their shades down, and that her shocked neighbors were staring at her.

'OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod!!'

Sometime later, after her dignity was somewhat patched up, Alice put on her favorite red bathing suit and some white shorts. She quickly grabbed a beach towel and checked cautiously out her back door to make sure there weren't any angry neighbors before heading out. There was a twenty-foot stretch of sand before beach became ocean, and she settled for halfway down the sand before she spread her towel and relaxed.

'Everything becomes calm when I look at the ocean. It's almost as if it lets me forget my troubles for at least a little while. Troubles have been running high lately. Usually it has to do with my 'perfect' body. Although, as anyone looking at my mind can see, I'm nowhere near perfect. In fact, all anyone sees when they look at me **is** my body.'

She reflected that, sure, she had sun kissed skin, sure, she inherited her mother's silky chocolate brown hair and gray eyes, and sure, her body was shaped well in all if the right places. To her, she could be outrageously ugly, but her mind would still be dysfunctional. She would always only see the light in people's hearts… even when it was too late. She would always care for people no matter what they did to her, and then she would kill anyone who tried to harm them… even though it hadn't gotten too that point… yet. Something had always made her believe that the root in all hearts was good, even though most of the time that true light was shrouded in darkness.

Alice's peace was shattered when the old lady next door came outside and started walking toward her.

'Please don't start tutting at me as if you know everything about your neighbors, which you probably do…'

She registered that it probably wasn't legal as to how many cats the old biddy owned. Her poor neighbor had gone senile when her husband died some years back. She was a true cat lady.

As her neighbor neared, she noticed that the old lady had the 'justice' look on. That could only mean that the other neighbors had said something about her 'escapade' that had not gone unnoticed, and the old lady was going to teach her a lesson on etiquette. Not in the mood for a lesson, Alice ran into the ocean. She would have to stay there for a while, and be far enough out so that she was out of earshot. It was something that she had done many times, and would probably do many times over. Alice swam farther out at her own pace, which wasn't fast at all. She preferred backstroke, as it took less energy to stay afloat. She could also stare at the sky as she swam. It was odd though; she could have sworn that there was a streak in the sky. Quickly, she looked at her neighbor, to see if the lady had seen anything. Her neighbor was standing up, shading her eyes from the sun as she watched the sky. Then, the old lady put her hand over her mouth when she looked at where Alice was. Whatever was coming out of the sky was _heading_ _straight for her_. She started frantically swimming away, and dove under just as the thing hit the water. Alice knew that whatever it was, it would sink as soon as it hit, so she turned around to inspect it. What she saw almost made her faint dead away. There was a boy in the water exactly where the thing had fallen, and he was plainly unconscious. Alice knew that if she didn't react now, he would drown. She swam over to where he was and grabbed him around the waist, slowly dragging him to the surface. When she reached the top, she gasped for air, and then quickly checked his heartbeat. There was none.

'Oh my God, he's dead.'

Alice did the only thing she knew how to do, being banging the chest at where the heart was and breathing air into his lungs. She tried to do this while suspended in the water, and it was proving to be a difficult task to accomplish.

A few seconds later, the guy was spewing up water violently, and when he could breath again, he fell back into darkness. Alice swam slowly back to shore, only arriving thirty minutes after she started. She was exhausted, but there was more to do. Her neighbor was on the shore, making sure she was ok. When the old lady saw the unconscious guy, she gasped and went into the water to help Alice. With both of their efforts, they dragged the lucky guy into Alice's house and onto her living room couch.

"Honey, where are your parents?" She asked Alice after they had everything settled.

"They went out for the day." Alice lied.

"When are they coming back?" The old lady persisted.

"Would you like a cup of tea? I think that would be nice." She replied, deflecting the questioning by going into the kitchen.

Alice grabbed a couple of mugs and filled them with water, sticking them in the microwave for two minutes. She selected some English tea, as it would sooth her salt worn throat. When the tea was done, she opted for a chair on the loveseat, while the old lady occupied her mother's rocker.

"When will they be back?" The lady asked yet again.

"I don't know. They might spend the night in whatever town their in. Look, I'm sixteen and able to handle one night with an unconscious guy. I know how to use a gun and knife to wound someone. I'll be fine, but I thank you for the concern. Please, if you don't mind, I would like to get some sleep." She told her neighbor coldly.

The old lady tutted all the way to her own house, sparing only a slight glance back at Alice. When she was gone, Alice slumped back down into the loveseat and closed her eyes, realizing just how tired she was. Sleep overcame her almost instantly, and she dreamed of the unconscious boy sleeping close to her and his rare beauty. She felt almost… ugly, when she saw him. A small smile touched her mouth in her sleep, and it didn't go unnoticed.


	3. Title pending

A/N: Hey people, thanks for reading and reviewing. Since I got a review, I'll post the next chapter. Need another review if you want another chapter. Hopefully this chapter will have less mistakes and more fun. Enjoy.

**Chapter Three.**

Riku woke up to the sound of the ocean. He opened his eyes slowly, wondering why he would hear the ocean in his death. He slowly looked around, realizing that there was moonlight, and he was in a house. His eyes quickly zoned in on a sleeping form curled up on a loveseat. The girl was sleeping in her bathing suit and shorts, which he found really odd. She was also smiling slightly.

'_More importantly, why am I not dead?' _

It was a question that he couldn't get answered until the girl woke up.

'_Maybe she saved me.'_

Riku dragged himself to the window and looked at the moon over the ocean.

'_It's beautiful, but it's not Destiny Islands beautiful. Where am I?'_

He walked back to the couch and looked it over, deciding it wasn't right that the person who owned the house had to sleep on the uncomfortable loveseat. Riku gently picked up the smiling girl and carried her to the couch. She moved slightly and sighed, murmuring, "I'm ugly," while smiling her head off.

He found this especially odd, considering he found her to be quite beautiful. Her hair was long, going to her mid back in a ponytail, and she had a nice, fit shape. She was tan, more so than him. When he set her down, she fluttered her eyes and then slowly opened them. They were a very unusual gray color, almost like clouds in a thunderstorm, but brighter and happier. He imagined that they would look exactly as clouds in a thunderstorm if she became angry or sad. Her eyes blinked a few times before she smiled fully.

"I'm sorry I woke you. I just thought you should have the couch." He whispered.

She blinked a few more times before looking down at her apparel, or lack there of. A smattering of red touched her cheeks, and he smirked. She got up quickly and pointed to the hall.

"I'm just going to… you know… change."

Then she ran off, and he chuckled slightly, stopping abruptly soon after he started.

'I haven't done anything close to laughing in a long time. I wonder why I am now? Maybe it's because I'm not near my problems anymore. Plus, I don't feel that anything here is quite as perfect. It could be a fresh start.'

Riku smiled and sat down on the couch, stretching his arms behind his head and thinking about his future.

Alice ran into her bedroom and closed the door, leaning on it to catch her breath.

'Today is not my day.'

She walked to her closet and grabbed her most comfortable pajamas, which were gray sweatpants and a large red shirt. She put these on slowly to calm herself down, and then walked slowly back toward the living room.

'Just my luck. There's finally a hot guy in my house, and I already look dysfunctional. Stupid mind with its stupid thoughts and stupid feelings and stupid decisions…'

There was a light rain falling, and it helped to calm her down as she turned the corner into the living room. The boy was sitting down in the middle of the couch with his arms and head resting on the top of the couch. His eyes were closed and she thought that he might be sleeping, so she sat down next to him lightly. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at her angrily, which made her gasp quietly.

"Why am I alive?" He asked gruffly.

Alice opened her mouth and closed it, not knowing how to answer. He looked at her expectantly, so she opened her mouth again, searching for words.

"You… you came out of the sky and landed in the ocean. I was swimming and brought you back up to the surface. You weren't breathing. I… uh… did CPR and you came back. Then I swam back with you, and my neighbor helped me bring you inside."

He nodded but still looked angry. She wondered if it had anything to do with the not dying part.

"Did you _want_ to die?" Alice mumbled.

He looked away, almost as if he was ashamed.

"I…" was all he got out, and Alice gasped.

" Don't think like that! Don't _ever _wish for your life to end!"

"Why _not_?" He said frostily.

Alice flinched, and turned her head away, not wanting to look at his face.

'How could anyone think like that? It's such a waste of spirit and soul.'

"What's your name?" She asked timidly.

"Riku. What about you?"

"Alice."

They sat in silence for a while, until Alice got up to wash her teacup. Riku decided to lie down and go to sleep, seeing that the conversation was curbed due to his suicidal tendencies. Alice walked back in to see Riku lying down with his eyes closed. She walked to the linen closet in her house and grabbed a spare pillow and blanket, bringing it to Riku. He opened his eyes at her approach and silently thanked her. She saw the thanks in his eyes and gave a small smile before turning and going to her room for the night.


	4. Sleep well

A/N: It's been fun writing these few chapters, and I hope that there will be many more to come. If the story goes the way I want it to, this is going to be a long one. Unfortunately, the plot changes everyday in my mind, so I guess I can't say for sure. All I know is that the future is sure to hold many surprises, and humor, and some fluff mixed in. hehehe, can't go without the fluff. Anyways, thanks for the possitive reviews. I enjoy criticism once in a while though, just to know what I'm doing wrong. That _is _what the sight is for, after all...

I'm making one rule for this fic: One review per chapter. That's all. Easy, right?

Oh ya, I keep on forgetting the poopy disclaimer. Essentially, it's not mine, yadda yadda yadda, except for the 'Earthly' characters.

**Chapter Four.**

Alice woke up with a start. Someone was _screaming _in her house. She remembered her new tenant and quickly ran down the hall. Riku was sobbing quietly on the pillow, his head shaking back and forth.

"Don't take me…" He mumbled, the rest of the sentence lost in the pillow.

She walked slowly to his side and made shushing noises before putting her hand on his forehead. Comforting was something Alice seemed to do really well, since most of her friends went to her crying about one thing or another. She always held a soft spot for crying people, especially ones she cared about. Riku had somehow wormed his way into the soft, caring part of her heart. She knew it was probably his willingness to die, which was saddening. Above all, her mind told her that it was the fact that no matter how much light was in his heart, Riku only seemed to see the darkness. His light was there, but it was dimmed by his own self-image.

Alice carefully wrapped her arms around his shivering form.

"Riku, it's a nightmare. It's not real. Come back to the light Riku, and don't linger in the darkness."

The shivering slowly went down to trembles as he calmed down. Alice cautiously started to remove her arms, but his hand caught her wrist and he held it to him, not willing to give it up.

"Please don't leave." He whispered painfully.

A fist clamped down on her heart and would not remove itself. She couldn't just leave him here, stewing in painful memories, but she couldn't sleep here either. Alice made a split decision, which required tons of strength and stamina, plus a little loss of dignity.

Riku weighed about one hundred and eighty pounds. She guessed most of it was muscle, which was admirable, but not when she was trying to pick him up.

"Muscles are greeeat. Ya, great, especially when they're on _yourself_. Muscles suck when you're trying to lift them!" She whispered loudly.

Alice managed to get Riku on her back and halfway down the hall before she collapsed onto her knees gracefully, not wanting to wake him up.

"God, you weigh _a ton_. I hope you didn't have a girlfriend wherever you came from. Hm, let's just say, I hope she's still alive."

Something tickled her shoulder, and she realized Riku was awake. He was awake, and had been during her little speech. Now, he had the audacity to _smile _at her pain. Alice got up again and swiftly relaxed her muscles, causing Riku to fall to the floor with a very loud _bump._ She turned around to curses and rubbing of soon-to-be bruises.

"What the hell?!" He shouted at her, making her smile broadly.

"_You_ can walk the rest of the way."

"Where exactly does the 'rest of the way' lead to?" He asked, arching a silvery eyebrow.

"My room." Alice said frankly, walking on.

Riku grabbed her wrist and spun her around, telling himself that he wouldn't move if she didn't explain what was going on.

"Why are _we_ going to _your_ room?" He probed.

"You said you didn't want me to leave. I couldn't stay in my bed and listen to you cry all night, feeling guilty because you had asked me to not leave. On the other hand, I couldn't sit next to the couch all night and hold your hand, so I compromised." She responded emotionlessly, as if she had to explain it _again_ and was going through the motions.

Riku stood still, stunned into thought. He had cried in front of a girl, which was bad in itself, but then he had to go and tell her that he couldn't sleep without her near him? Alice firmly grabbed the same wrist Riku was using to hold on to her, while she dragged him to her room, making him sit on her bed while she traveled to the closet.

"What are you doing _now_?" He asked impatiently.

She quickly stuck her head out of the door.

"Wouldn't you enjoy having clothes that didn't feel as if they were washed in sand?"

Again, Riku didn't have an answer for her as it was obvious, so he opted for silence.

Alice was going through her abundant stash of sweatpants, looking for some that would fit just right. Luckily, Riku was only a few inches taller than her, because she had plenty of pants that were too long for her. She chose some navy blue pants that had always been too large for her large pair, which would make them baggy on him. She also had several big shirts, obviously going for comfort in bed, not sexy. Choosing a plain white one that would fit loosely on him, she brought them out to him and shoved him in her walk in closet, closing the door behind her.

"Well, that was nice." He commented.

"I'm tired, as you enjoy waking me up. Don't expect to see my sun shiny face until after noon."

"You really are irritable."

Alice grunted and tapped her foot on the floor, counting the seconds. Riku came out not long after, stopping a few feet away from her and crossing his arms.

"What now?" He asked her.

She pointed to the right side of the bed and ungracefully plopped herself on the other side.

"So… what… you just expect us to sleep in the same bed? That's kind of sudden… and weird." He mumbled loud enough for her to hear.

"I don't caaare," she whined, dramatically wiping her hand down her face, "all I know is that you can't sleep without a dream chaperone, and I'm not going to sleep on or near the couch."

"As long as you won't regret it in the morning." He shrugged.

Alice glared at him before turning on her side and getting comfortable.

"I don't know why I would have to," Was all she said.

Riku lifted the covers on the right side of the bed and lay down stiffly, feeling uncomfortable. Soon though, sleep got the better of him and he settled down into a dreamless slumber.


	5. Fun with Friends

A/N: Thank you readers for coming along for the ride. I'm sorry this chapter was so late. My sister's visiting one last time before moving to Germany for three years, so I'm trying to get in as much time with her as I can. I made this chapter longer to make up for it, though it's still short. It's hard writing a lot in the wee hours. When I get a review, I'll start on the next one.

**Chapter Five.**

Alice lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. It was past noon, twenty minutes to one. Riku had his arms wrapped around her waist, which was why she was staring at her ceiling. They had been like this for quite some time now, and Alice was starting to wish she wasn't being so polite. Riku was slowly breathing, the rhythm at least keeping her mind occupied for small amounts of time. She wondered how Riku could be sleeping so soundly now, when just hours ago he was screaming at some unknown adversary. Her mind was also kept occupied by what she was going to do with him today.

'Maybe we'll just hang out here.'

For some reason, she thought the idea was appalling. That was when a light bulb turned on in her mind, and an idea formed. Quickly, she undid Riku's arms from her waist and hopped out of her bed. Riku turned over, but didn't wake up, which surprised her.

'He sleeps like a rock.'

Alice grabbed her cell phone before walking quietly outside. She dialed her best friend, Kumiko's, number. The phone rang four times before being picked up.

"Hey babe, what's up?"

"Hi Kumi… I need to ask you a favor."

"Shoot."

"Well, actually, you would probably enjoy this more than anything, so…"

"Spit it out already Al."

"Right. Anyways, there's this guy…"

"Oh… my God. You have a boyfriend? Is he cute? What's he like?"

Alice sneered at her friend's enthusiasm. Kumiko had wanted her to have a boyfriend for a long time. Something about double dating…

"Kumiko, shut up. He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh…_oh…_so, he's not your boyfriend _yet_, but you want him to be. I see."

"Stop jumping to conclusions. Look, he was drowning in the ocean, so I saved him and now he's in my house. He's really depressed, and I think you should invite a couple of people… not too many, as we don't want to overwhelm him, and come hang out. I just want him to feel welcome here, ok?"

The other end of the phone was silent as Kumiko processed the information given to her.

"When do you want us over?"

Alice smiled into the phone.

"Soon, but not too soon. He's still sleeping."

"Al… you seem to care a lot about him. Don't let him get into your head fast, ok? Most likely, he's just a bum. You seem to attract the nice looking ones."

Her smile faded as she heard her friend's words.

"Kumi, he won't weasel his way through my heart too fast. I promise. I know I'm a big softy, but I can protect myself. Plus, he's different."

"What do you mean, different?"

"I'll tell you and you'll see later."

"Come on, you know you want to tell me now."

"No and bye."

Alice could here laughter on the other line, and (a little miffed) she shut the phone with a snap.

Riku opened his eyes to the sound of humming. He turned over in the bed and found Alice sitting at the edge, brushing her wet hair. She was wearing some black straight jeans and a faded red tee. She turned around when she heard rustling and flashed a quick smile.

"You must have been tired."

Riku nodded, deciding not to say anything.

"It's about one thirty in the afternoon and the weather took a bad turn. The air definitely has a bite to it."

"Are we going out?" Riku asked, perplexed as to why he would care about the weather.

Alice shrugged and walked back into her bathroom, coming out soon after with her hair in a high ponytail.

"You can take a shower if you want to. I hope you don't mind, but I invited a couple of friends over. I figured we could both use the company."

"You're right. I do need to get my mind off of some things. What could be better than the company of friends?" Riku said wearily.

"Riku, friends take all of the worry away."

Anger flashed in Riku's eyes, and he jerked away, retreating under the covers.

"If that's what they're supposed to do, then why did my so called friends _cause _all of my worry?" He asked, his voice muffled by the covers.

'_So that's why he's so withdrawn.'_

Riku shifted under the covers, and Alice couldn't help herself as she tackled him. She quickly threw off all of the covers protecting his body, and then she tickled his ribs. Smiling viciously as he started laughing, she went on a relentless tirade of tickling, no matter what Riku was yelling.

"Not letting him into your heart, huh?"

Alice froze and jumped away from Riku as if he had scalded her. She turned around and stared into the eyes of her furious best friend.

"Kumi, I…"

"Don't you dare try to explain. You know just as well as I do what happened last time you let a guy into your heart. Would you like me to remind you?" Kumiko spat.

Alice crumbled to the floor and began crying. Of course she knew what happened last time. She could still feel his hands on her body. Her screaming that reached no ears. The way he…

"No… no… he's not like that. Riku would never…"

Kumiko huffed and sat next to her friend, hugging her. Riku just sat on the bed with a very confused look plastered to his face. What would he never do?

"How am I supposed to not do something, if I don't know what that something is?" He asked.

Kumiko turned her glare onto Riku, making him flinch with its intensity.

"Riku, was it? I don't know why you're here or how you came to be here, but if I ever _hear _of you touching my friend the wrong way, you won't know the meaning of pain by the time I'm done with you."

Riku flinched again, because he knew what happened to Alice. She had been defiled in the worst of ways, by someone whom she considered a friend. Suddenly, his problem seemed so small and obsolete. He had an urge to protect this frail looking girl with a big heart. It was the same urge he had experienced before he fell into darkness for Sora.

"Alice," Riku quietly said, drawing her teary eyes from her arms and onto him, "I promise to be your friend… and nothing more. That is, of course, if you want me to be your friend at all."

Alice nodded and looked at Kumiko, who hesitantly nodded as well. Kumiko then helped Alice to her feet and gestured for Riku to follow them. He complied and walked behind them to the living room, where two other girls sat. The girls stood up and ran over to Alice, asking her if she was ok. She casually replied that everything was fine now, while casting a quick glance toward Riku.

The girls noticed and switched their attentions to him. The girl with short brown hair and blue eyes walked up to him first. She seemed to be friendly, unlike the girl she was with.

"Hi, I'm Amber." She said loudly, extending her arm for a handshake.

"Riku," was his reply as he shook her hand.

"This is my twin, Angel." Amber said, gesturing to the other girl to come and say hi.

Angel, who differed from her twin only that her hair was longer, walked up to Riku and jerked her hand toward him. He hesitated before shaking her hand, and when she was done, she took some steps back and stood there.

'_Ok…'_ Riku thought dryly.

Alice sat on the loveseat and patted the spot beside her, pointedly looking at Riku. He sat down next to her with a sigh.

"This isn't going to relieve my worrying, is it?" He whispered to her.

She sighed before shaking her head 'no.'

"I didn't see it being this way." She responded in a murmur.

Kumiko coughed. Riku and Alice looked over to see the three girls sitting on the couch, staring at them.

"Question and answer time." She said, looking at Riku and then Alice.

Riku could feel Alice shiver next to him and decided that maybe he should feel scared, too. The only problem was the fact that he had an absurd desire to protect the girl sitting next to him, and that desire blocked out all of his survival instincts.


	6. Payback

A/N: I recieved two reviews this time, so I'm working on another chapter already. The first part of my story is drawing to a close. Part 1: Earth, as I like to call it. I haven't named part 2, yet :). I'll probably make the next chapter very long and have that be the end of part one. That means, of course, that it's going to take a while. Writing takes a while when you're a perfectionist.

Alice stared at the pouring rain from her comfortable seat on the couch. Thunder rumbled through the sky and several lightning flashes could be seen. She then turned her attentions to her friends, who had taken to questioning Riku about his past. Kumiko was the main interrogator, though Angel came to a close second. Amber had sat by Alice a few questions earlier, finding the 'game' they were playing was getting boring. Riku was also sitting next to her, which was becoming tedious due to Kumiko's questioning. Said girl thought of a new question and quickly voiced it, much to Riku and Alice's dismay.

"So, after you gave yourself up to darkness to save your friend, where did you go?"

"That's easy. I went to the World That Never Was to find Roxas and bring him to Ansem the Wise."

"And this Roxas kid was the other half of your friend. The nobody half."

"Yes." Riku replied, exasperated.

"Did you succeed in your mission?" Angel asked.

"I did after I let myself become one with the darkness."

"Then your friend is safe now?" Kumiko pressed.

"He's back at Destiny Islands, probably making out with Kairi."

A grimace crossed Riku's face, and Angel noticed right away.

"Are you jealous of your friend?"

Riku looked at her as if she was absurd.

"Kairi is the reason I'm here in the first place. If it hadn't been for her telling me that I was hurting Sora, then I wouldn't have gone so far as to try and kill myself."

"Why did you feel that you should kill yourself anyway? Couldn't you see that Kairi was overcome by her own emotions and was blaming you for something you didn't deserve?" Alice cut in.

"I _did _deserve it, and I won't ever think otherwise. What I did to the people I love is inexcusable."

"What you did to the people you love was wrong, but it sounds as if they forgave you already. The only person who hasn't forgiven you is yourself."

Nothing else was said as Kumiko seemed satisfied for the moment, and Alice took that opportunity to get up and stretch.

"I'm beat." She said offhandedly.

Riku looked at her like she was crazy, and Alice shrugged innocently.

"Oh no you don't," Kumiko said, "We still have to tell your side of the story."

At this, Riku perked up, and Alice sighed heavily while sitting back down.

"Alice and I have been friends since second grade." Kumiko started.

"She met us in eighth grade." Amber offered next.

"Yes… yes, these are my best friends. I've known them for a long time, and they understand what I've been through the most out of everyone. You see, when I was a young kid, I lived in another state named Colorado. All of my friends were there, but my dad had a job opportunity here, on the coast of California. My family left everything and moved here, much to our discomfort. I was seven at the time, and I didn't understand the reasons for why we moved. I rebelled against my parents and joined a gang of sorts. That was when I first met Kumiko. She had a brother in the group, and so she was welcomed as long as she didn't put up a fuss. They never intended to have her involved in anything they did, although she wanted to be. I shared her dream of contributing to the group, and so we voiced our opinions. To teach us a lesson, they set up a test for us, telling us that if we passed we could join properly. Of course, they set up a physical test as well as a mental test. Both of us passed the mental test with flying colors. The physical test, however, was something different."

Kumiko shivered and Alice looked ashamedly at the floor.

"What happened?" Riku asked.

"The group told us that our test would be at the end of an alleyway. It was at the end, but it wasn't a test at all. Three of the guys in the group, the ones we had thought our closest friends, were waiting for us. We greeted them kindly as usual, and much to our surprise, they jumped us. We struggled violently, and Kumiko got away from the guy holding her. I wasn't so lucky. Two of them were holding me, and once Kumiko was gone, I gave up my fight. There was no use in fighting the inevitable."

Riku looked stricken.

"You just _gave up_?" He yelled.

"Isn't that what you did?" Alice said icily.

Riku stopped talking, since he seemed to be digging himself a grave, and went for listening instead.

"Kumiko went for help, and I stayed to endure the abuse I deserved for being so naïve. She came back around thirty minutes later. By then, they had beaten me bloody and taken turns to have their way with me. They were long gone, but I didn't have the strength or the willpower to get up. I was taken to the hospital, and my parents came. After I got better, we reached an understanding. I stopped rebelling against them, hoping that we could start new. The plan would have been great if not for the fact that the men who had raped me were still breathing. Anger and revenge ate me alive, and I was determined to bring them down with my own hands. For years I trained my body to be stronger, faster, and endure more than any normal child should. Kumiko was always with me while I trained, and she became just as strong as me. When we turned fourteen, we hunted down the bastards and found them, one by one. The night we went scouting, I found out that two of them had children to take care of which sickened me beyond belief. If they could do what they did to me and still have the audacity to have children, I wondered what kind of crap they were doing to the poor kids. I didn't want to stick around and find out, so, one by one, the men fell. Ever since then, I've regretted what I did, but regret doesn't change the past, so the only thing I can do is change myself and move forward."

There was a long pause as Riku processed all of the information. He had never actually killed a human being before, no matter what other creatures he slain. Alice had killed three.

"I hope that you now understand that the past is the past, and the future should not be dictated by what you've done, but what you are going to do. I put aside what I've done because I made several mistakes, and I want to change myself for the better."

As a reply, Riku smiled and said, "You know, you're not what you seem to be."

Alice smiled back.

"Neither are you."

All of the girls laughed at that.

"That's an understatement. He's such a big softy." Kumiko mentioned.

Another round of laughter ensued at Riku's expense, and he scowled, crossing his arms over his chest in aggravation.

'She probably doesn't need protecting at all. In that case…'

Riku tackled Alice to the floor and tickled her just as much as she tickled him. Alice's friends were now laughing at her expense, but she couldn't scowl.

"Rikuuuu let me go." She gasped before collapsing in another fit of giggles.

"No way, this is payback."


	7. The Beginning of the End

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Unfortunately, I was busy this week, and last. Fortunately for you readers, I got sick. So, due to my illness, I wrote an extra long chapter in the wee hours of the morning. Yes, it's still writing in the wee hours for me. My goal was to get up to 10,000 words. For me to get that, I need about 360 more words. Since that is my goal, and I would like to accomplish it in this chapter, I believe I am going to sit here and type another 350 words to amuse myself. Hopefully I can amuse you people too. In order to do that, I will find funny quotes and put them here. Maybe I'll drabble on about my life.

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked and dry cleaners depressed?

A conclusion is simply the place where you get tired of thinking.

Time is money, money is the root of all evil, and knowledge is power. Therefore, procrastination is the key to world peace.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.

"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods."--Aristotle

OK, so what's the speed of dark?

Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink what comes out"?

I'm not littering... I'm donating to the earth.

He's not dead... he's electroencephalographically challenged.

Uh, ok, so I ran out of funny things to say, so I'm going to talk about my life I guess. The funniest thing that happened to me this week was when, after my sister and brother(by marriage) came over and slept in my bed (while I had to take the couch) and I was changing the sheets, I found a pair of his boxers stuck between my bed and the wall. I just sort of looked at them and wondered how they had gotten there in the first place. Of course, after that, I started blushing like mad because several things entered my mind. I believe that I unnecessarily scarred myself for life. Thankfully, I'm almost done here, having about 2,635 words right now. I'll just say a few more things to pass the words. Ah, I have a song stuck in my head. Good Old-fashioned Lover Boy by Queen. Such a great band. My favorite song happens to be their Bohemian Rhapsody.

OH MY GOSH! I went over. Thank you for being patient. Here's the chapter...

**The End of the Beginning.**

Many tickle fights ensued after the first had begun. Alice and Riku usually teamed up and relentlessly scratched sides and feet until everyone had lost their breath. After that, the five teens began a game of poker. The twins had always been great at poker, but Alice had played for just as long. She had also played when actual money was at stake. Unfortunately, she wasn't so great at reading the faces of others. It was a quick game, as everyone just bet enormous amounts of chips and alliances were made against certain players. Angel won the game, much to her satisfaction.

"Now what?" Alice asked everyone.

She felt Riku and Kumiko shrug, as her head was on his shoulder and Kumiko's on hers. Amber was sprawled out on the floor, and Angel was halfway laying on the loveseat.

"Let's play truth or dare." Suggested Amber.

"It's too overrated." Angel deliberated.

Amber pouted, but relented.

"I want to talk about past friends." Riku commented.

"What was the name of the friend you saved?" Kumiko asked quickly, not missing a beat.

"Sora." He said gloomily.

"Do you miss him?" Alice asked curiously.

"Of course I miss him. He _is_ my best friend, but he's also somewhere and with people I want to forget about. I still want to travel to different worlds, and this time not in darkness. I guess I already started."

Alice smiled soberly.

"I just wish I could go with you." She sighed.

"Why not?" Riku asked nonchalantly.

Alice opened her mouth, but couldn't think of a decent response.

"Family." Kumiko supplied.

Alice nodded. Her family would be devastated if she left them. It would be like leaving them _again_, and she couldn't do that.

"You're going to stay here, when you have a chance to get out? This one chance to experience something that no one has ever seen before, and you're not going?" Riku asked incredulously.

"With the way you put it, _I_ want to go." Angel decided.

"You could." Riku said earnestly.

"Riku, you're dangling a carrot over a cliff in front of four hungry rabbits. You don't even know where to go, or how to get all of us there. Who knows how many people can go on this little escapade of yours? What happens if four of us leave and two of us come back? What would the two who came back say to the parents of the two that were left behind? There are too many variables for all of us to go." Alice reasoned.

"Only _you_ would think of the only things to squash our dreams and make us rabbits at the same time." Kumiko said sarcastically.

"Better to plan ahead than to get there and find that you are grossly unprepared." Alice reflected.

"She has a point." Kumiko sighed.

"Of course I do." Alice replied jokingly.

Kumiko shoved an elbow into Alice's side and they all laughed when she winced.

"Some great friends _I _have." Alice whispered.

"They really are." Riku answered.

Kumiko, being the only one to hear his comment, beamed. Alice noticed and chuckled.

"You sure changed your opinion about Riku." Alice pointed out.

"You're the one that screwed up my opinion of him in the first place." She shot back.

Alice remained silent.

"When are we going to leave?" Angel asked, stifling a yawn.

"Riiiight… now." Amber responded, checking the time.

Kumiko looked at the clock and jumped up.

"Crap! I told my parents that I was going to be home an hour ago." She shouted.

Everyone got up and walked to the door, saying casual goodbyes. Kumiko looked downtrodden as she went through the front door. After a while, she paused before running back to Alice and hugging her hard.

"I'll miss you." She whispered before running back to Amber and Angel.

Alice's eyes widened and she gasped while Riku chuckled.

"I guess best friends know you better then you do."

"But… but I said I wasn't going."

"That doesn't mean anything." He said before walking back inside.

Alice stayed outside for a little while longer, watching her retreating friend curiously until they were swallowed up by the city. She walked back inside to see Riku staring at her from the couch.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." He said, smiling slightly.

"_What_?" She asked again, more insistent this time.

"I was just wondering where I was going to sleep tonight." He replied with a shrug.

Alice blushed lightly as she walked over to the loveseat and sat down.

"It depends on whether you plan on having more nightmares." She answered coolly.

The smirk on Riku's face slowly disappeared.

"They've never gone away. Whenever I fall asleep… when I'm in darkness, he always comes. Xehanort's heartless is still inside me… deeper than before, but still there. He eats away at my heart every night, trying to gain strength by filling my heart with darkness once again."

Alice frowned.

"You've gone through some hard times. I only hope that I can be there for you as my friends were there for me. They're the reason why I haven't gone insane." She said, smiling wryly.

"_My_ friends _are _the reason why I went insane."

"I'm sorry. I hope you make better friends this time around."

"I have."

Alice's cheeks flushed again and she sincerely looked forward to proving him right.

'_Only when my stupid face stops turning red!'_

"Come on, I'm tired." She sighed.

Riku glanced at the clock, and then glanced at her questioningly.

"It's only seven."

"I'm _tired_." Alice whined.

"You are such a complainer."

"Only when I'm tired." She mumbled before sinking further down into the loveseat.

Riku sighed at her antics but got up and poked her side.

"Aren't you going to sleep in your bed?" He asked.

"Too late," she yawned, "I'll just have to sleep here."

He sighed again and dragged a hand through his hair.

"I guess it's time to return the favor." He said slyly as Alice looked up at him wearily.

Alice yelped as Riku slung her across his shoulders and carried her effortlessly to her room.

"I guess you just don't have muscle." He commented.

Alice bit back the urge to stick out her tongue and instead went for verbal banter. She tugged on a strand of his hair and smiled mischievously.

"I'm sure if you only cut a little of your mop, you wouldn't weight as much."

Riku smirked as he dropped her in the middle of her hall.

"_You_ get to walk the rest of the way."

Alice groaned as she got up, grimacing as he quoted her.

"Hey, I dropped you on your butt at least." She complained.

Riku smirked and walked to her room, fishing through her closet for some more sweatpants. He marveled at how many different sizes and colors of sweatpants she had. Alice walked in and grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top. She walked silently into the bathroom and closed the door. Riku looked over at the bathroom door curiously, wondering how she could have so many faces and show them all in the same day. Alice was definitely an odd person. What made her unique was the fact that she was weird, but the same person around everyone. Usually people act a certain way toward their friends then they do strangers, but she seemed to lack that. He supposed she just had a normal deficiency. With her past, he couldn't blame her.

Alice walked out of the bathroom and into the bed, not noticing the curious face Riku supported. He went back to fishing through her closet, finding sweatpants that were the right size and another extra large shirt. He spotted the clothes he had come in stuffed into her dirty clothesbasket. From what he knew of the house, the laundry room was down the hall, opposite from the living room. Riku grabbed the basket and went exploring, hoping that he would eventually find the laundry room. He took a quick look back to Alice, who was already in her own world. A quick smile passed across his face as he watched her serene form.

The laundry room was quite easy to find, as her house wasn't very big in the first place. Riku began to separate their clothes into piles, and then he put in a load. After pressing and changes the button to the necessary settings and throwing in some detergent, he went to the kitchen and made a cup of tea.

'This is exactly what I used to do at my house. Maybe everything really will turn out all right in the end. I'm already treating this place as my home, and the people in it like my family.'

Riku thought about that word… family. He had never been a part of a family, besides what he had with Sora and Kairi.

'But that's all gone now. The only person left is… Alice.'

A wry smile appeared as he thought about her. She wasn't his family, and he would certainly never think of her as just his friend.

'Did I just admit to myself that I like her as more than a friend?'

He never got to finish contemplating as he heard a scratch and meowing at the door. Riku walked to the back door and opened it, revealing a small cat. He crouched down and put his hand out, watching as the cat sniffed it cautiously before arching its back and crawling under his palm.

"Where did you come from?" He asked it amusedly.

Riku walked back inside and looked back to see that the cat had followed him, peering inquiringly at everything before hoping onto the kitchen counter and watching Riku. He chuckled as he grabbed another cup and filled it with water, putting it in front of the animal. The feline lapped up the water gingerly.

"I've never met a cat like you. Then again the only one I met was Kairi's. I should have known that it would act exactly like its owner." Riku said dryly.

The cat looked up at Riku when he started talking, but he noticed that it seemed to be looking right through him now. Its shackled came up and Riku, not one to take any chances, summoned Way to Dawn. It was the first time he had since the battle with Xemnas.

"Cool." Alice said airily behind him.

Riku's Keyblade quickly seemed to dissolve as he turned around.

"I thought you were asleep." Riku told her.

"I was, but the washer turned on and then you started talking. I was curious as to whether you were crazy or someone was actually in my house. Both were reasons to investigate." She explained.

Alice looked to the side of Riku and saw her neighbors cat, the one she liked. The cat was orange and brown, with ice blue eyes. It had been to her house frequently to get attention, and Alice had often sat on her porch and stroke its fur until her neighbor came over to get it back. Sometimes it would take hours, but she doubted her neighbor kept tabs on all of her cats. Alice didn't think the old lady could have even if she wanted to.

The cat, which she had so affectionately called Dawn, sauntered over to Alice and meowed. She knew that the cat wanted to be petted, and so she picked up the cat and headed for the porch. After Riku didn't follow, she turned to look at him. He was too preoccupied as to why he felt a jolt in his heart when he watched her walking toward the sunset.

"Would you like to come watch the sunset?" She asked.

Riku nodded, but she was already walking to the porch again.

'It was probably just because she looked as if she were glowing in the light. Kind of like an angel would.'

He pushed it out of his mind as he sat next to her. Alice was looking fixedly at the setting sun. She was absentmindedly stroking the cat on its back.

"You know," Riku noted, "I never did get to talk about past friends."

Alice looked over at him and smirked.

"How many friends do you have?"

"Right now, two, maybe three."

"Why did people stop liking you on the Destiny Islands? It's not as if you told them that you had betrayed them. Anyways, you were mostly power hungry and consumed by darkness at the time when you were gone."

"I guess I felt too guilty to look them in the face. I stopped hanging out with them and we didn't even know each other anymore. It was pointless to try and rekindle something that was gone. I was hoping to leave Destiny Islands soon, but Kairi pushed me over the edge."

Alice nodded and returned her attentions to the sunset.

"Sunsets never cease to amaze me." She murmured.

"Your parents should have called you Twilight."

"Why?"

"Because you never cease to amaze me."

Alice blushed once again, and once more Riku failed to notice.


	8. Sleep of the Dead

A/N: I'm **soooo** sorry that it took me this long to think of something to write. It was silly of me to think so long and not write. It is what I should have done in the first place. Anyways, I wrote this for your reading pleasure, and I'm sorry again for the long delay. I hope there isn't another one. I'm changing the ammount of reviews for each chapter, because right now I have to write about four more chapters. SO, in light of that, I'm changing it to three reviews per chapter. Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. I appreciate it. :D

**Chapter Eight**

Low light filtered in from the bedroom window

Low light filtered in from the bedroom window. A lightning bolt flashed across the sky, illuminating everything for a second. Alice turned over in the bed, unable to sleep. She could hear Riku beside her, gently breathing through his mouth. She would have found his presence relaxing, but something told her that she should be worried. Taking a tentative breath, Alice got out of the bed and walked outside, toward the rolling waves. Nothing could calm her, not even the constant sea or the feeling of sand wrapped around her fingers. Giving a cry of frustration, she thought back to an event in her childhood that always made her tired. It wasn't a soothing dream… no, just the opposite.

_Flash_

_An eight year old Alice ran into the ocean, laughing. Her mother was behind her, chasing her into the water, poised to tackle. Alice started swimming against the heaving waves, eager to get away and prolong the game. As her mother came near, she dove under, trying to escape. Ten seconds later, after waiting until she knew her mother was worried, Alice jumped from the sand, fully expecting to rise to the surface. Her dreams were crushed as a plant caught hold of her ankle and didn't let go. Her breath was running short, and so she struggled harder, but it only made her loose more air. She gave up soon, knowing that she wasn't going to make it. The only thing going through her mind was, 'I don't want to go… Not yet. Don't take me yet…'_

_She held her breath for as long as she could, but soon she let go, struggling once more as her body slowly shut down, but then letting everything come still. She became one with the waves for a few brief seconds, barely registering the black thing coming toward her. It was peaceful… quiet, but not unbearably so, as the ocean surged. Her eyes slowly clouded over and she saw pure darkness for the first time… _

'_I wonder if someone will be waiting for me on the other side…'_

_Flash_

Alice could feel her limbs tire slightly, but not enough to get her back to bed. She lay on the sand and watched the lightning, timing it before she heard thunder to see how far away it was. The scene was mesmerizing. The lull of the waves sent a slow rhythm that the sudden flashes of light broke her out of. She concentrated on relaxing all of her limbs, finally feeling her heart relax and her eyelids flutter shut. Alice fell into unconsciousness quickly, but not from the low murmur of sleep. A black shroud of darkness overcame her, sending her into oblivion. The next thing her brain registered was that she was standing on an unusual platform. On said platform was a faded door. She walked toward it, finding that her hand ghosted through it.

"Where am I?" She asked, not expecting an answer.

"Alice… you are immune to darkness. Your strength of heart is unparalleled in the worlds. You have become the Queen of Heart." An eerily apathetic voice said.

"What does that mean?" Alice yelled, exasperated.

"The worlds have need of you in this dire hour. Darkness has started to consume certain worlds. The people who inhabit the worlds affected have become consumed with their emotions, even the princesses of heart. The worlds have need of your strength and you need the strength of your knight."

"Riku?"

The door materialized and Alice stepped through it, wandering to the middle of the room. In the room were three platforms, each with a katana floating atop it.

"Which do you choose?" The voice asked, still apathetic.

Alice walked up to each finding that the black one represented magic, the red represented strength, and the blue represented defense. She chose strength, knowing it would be the most useful on her journey. The scene changed and the three swords came back.

"Which do you give up?"

She immediately went to defense, knowing that Riku would always be there to be her defender if she needed it.

"You have chosen well. Through the next door your journey will begin. Do not be afraid, the worlds have chosen you."

"That's supposed to make me feel safe?" She mumbled.

Quickly the podiums disappeared, replaced by another large door. She walked toward it hastily, stopping when she saw something glinting on the handle. Around the handle of the door lay a black choker with a round red pendant. She touched it carefully, gasping when it disappeared from her touch only to fit perfectly around her neck.

"What is this?" She asked loudly again.

"A light to help you find your way in the darkness."

She didn't ask anything more or expect a less cryptic answer. All that was left was to walk through the door. She was a little frightened, walking into something unknown without preparation. The only thing she had was the "light to help in darkness" choker, and she was pretty sure she would find out was it did through the next door.

Walking through, she found that it was dark. It was pure darkness, like when she was drowning. This time, though, she knew no one was coming to save her. Alice looked back to where the door was, only to discover that it had vanished.

"Hello?" She asked timidly, waiting futilely for an answer.

The darkness towered over her and pierced her mind, making it harder for her to think. She walked aimlessly, not really expecting the scenery to change, but hoping that it would. She looked down at her necklace, noticing that it had a slight glow to it. Sitting down, she tried to take it off, but there was nothing to take it apart with. She touched the pendant and found that when she closed her eyes, she could see something behind the lids. She concentrated harder and suddenly saw Riku clearly, crouched down next to her still body on the beach. He was holding her hand, looking concerned. She smiled unconsciously, and saw that her body on the beach also smiled. Riku leaned closer; obviously startled that she did something. Alice frowned then, whispering Riku's name and finding that her body still mimicked her. She decided she should try talking.

"Riku, I'm in darkness. Help me, please."

Riku shot up from his sitting position, looking at Alice with a shocked face. He leaned over her again, whispering something that she couldn't hear. He then leaned over her face, and did something she never expected. He placed his lips on hers, giving a gentle kiss. She opened her eyes quickly, loosing the connection with her body as she placed her hand on her lips. A sudden gleaming smile appeared on her face, and it took her a second to register that it was there.

"I love him." She realized.

A giggle escaped from her lips as she thought.

"He loves me too."

The pendant on her neck glowed and a blinding light consumed the darkness.


End file.
